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More than 66,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the Gaza Health Ministry reported on Sunday. According to the ministry’s daily update, the death toll has reached 66,005, with 168,162 people injured since Hamas launched attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. In the past 24 hours alone, 79 fatalities were recorded in hospitals across Gaza. Israel’s military operations in Gaza continue as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday. The offensive has devastated large parts of Gaza, forced nearly 90% of the population to flee, and created a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in Gaza City. The ministry, which is run by Hamas, does not separate civilian and militant casualties but reports that women and children account for roughly half of the deaths. The figures are considered a reliable estimate by the United Nations and many independent observers.

A 30-day window to stop the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran closes Sunday, raising fears of further economic pressure on Tehran amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The sanctions “snapback” follows a declaration on August 28 by France, Germany and the United Kingdom that Iran was no longer complying with the 2015 nuclear deal. Attempts by China and Russia to block the move failed. Iran’s nuclear program dates back to 1967 but has been marked by decades of secrecy, disputes and intermittent negotiations. The 2015 agreement with world powers was hailed as a breakthrough, limiting Tehran’s enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. But the deal collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, triggering escalating confrontations across the region. Since then, Iran has ramped up enrichment levels, survived repeated sabotage attacks on its Natanz facilities, and admitted it has the technical ability to make a bomb. Efforts to revive the accord under both the Biden and Trump administrations faltered despite multiple rounds of talks in Oman and Europe. Tensions spiked further in 2025 after Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, prompting U.S. intervention and a short but intense war in June. Although a ceasefire followed, suspicions over Iran’s nuclear activities persisted. Recent diplomacy, including tentative agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency, failed to satisfy Western nations. With the “snapback” sanctions due to take effect at midnight GMT Sunday, Iran faces renewed isolation. The move comes as regional instability deepens amid the Gaza war, Hezbollah’s losses, and continuing Houthi unrest, underscoring the high stakes of the nuclear standoff.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing mounting international criticism over the Gaza conflict, told world leaders at the United Nations on Friday that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas, signaling defiance despite growing diplomatic isolation. Netanyahu spoke as dozens of delegates from multiple countries staged a mass walkout at the UN General Assembly Hall. He condemned recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood by some nations, saying the decisions would “encourage terrorism against Jews and innocent people everywhere.” During his speech, shouts and applause erupted from different parts of the hall. The U.S. delegation remained in place, though the Americans and the British did not send their senior representatives, leaving junior diplomats in attendance. Netanyahu repeatedly accused critics of antisemitism. The Israeli leader highlighted regional changes as new opportunities, mentioning that Israel has begun negotiations with Syria on security arrangements. Netanyahu praised U.S. President Donald Trump, describing him as a key ally in Israel’s military and political strategy. Back home, the Israeli military reportedly set up loudspeakers along the Gaza border to broadcast Netanyahu’s remarks. The prime minister’s office said an “unprecedented operation” would also transmit the speech directly to Gaza residents’ mobile phones, though it remained unclear if this was fully implemented. Friday’s address came amid escalating tensions in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians and displaced 90 percent of the population. International calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid have grown louder, while the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu over alleged crimes against humanity. Israel denies all accusations. Ahead of Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Assembly via video, noting that recognition of Palestinian statehood by over 150 countries is a positive step but urging the world to do more to secure Palestinians’ rights and sovereignty. Netanyahu, however, reiterated his opposition to an independent Palestinian state, arguing that it would reward Hamas. “This will not happen,” he said, emphasizing Israel’s determination to continue its campaign despite international pressure.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday told the UN General Assembly that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza once the ongoing war ends, stressing that the group must disarm and hand over its weapons. Speaking via video link after the United States revoked his visa, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority is prepared to take full responsibility for governance and security in the territories. He noted that Palestinians in Gaza are enduring “a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” by Israel, but maintained that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel “does not represent the Palestinian people.” “We reject that action,” Abbas said, laying out his vision for postwar governance in Gaza and the West Bank. “Hamas will have no role to play in governance.” His remarks came a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to deliver his address to the General Assembly in person. “There can be no justice if Palestine is not freed,” Abbas told world leaders, as he urged international recognition of Palestinian statehood and accountability for what he described as Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

Israeli forces have advanced close to the centre of Gaza City, while Hamas fighters are reportedly preparing for fierce street-to-street battles. Thousands of Palestinians have fled the city since Israel launched its ground offensive last week. Israel says Gaza City is the “last stronghold” of Hamas, and its goal is to eliminate militants and rescue the remaining 48 hostages. Verified footage shows an Israeli tank at Hamid Junction, about 1.5 km from al-Shifa Hospital. Armoured vehicles were also spotted near the main UN compound in southern Gaza City. A Hamas figure told the BBC that the group is calling in thousands of fighters from across Gaza for what it described as a “final, decisive battle.” The Israeli military earlier estimated that 3,000 Hamas fighters are in the city, while the Hamas source claimed there are 5,000. The numbers cannot be independently verified. Residents say Israel has been carrying out quick raids into Gaza City before pulling back. Reports suggest Israel has used explosive-laden armoured vehicles and drones with loudspeakers to target militants and warn civilians. The UN says more than 321,000 people have fled south since mid-August, while Israel puts the figure at 640,000. Many families have paid thousands of dollars for transport, leaving behind belongings. Those who remain face bombardment, shortages of food and water, and collapsing hospitals. A UN-backed agency confirmed famine in parts of Gaza in late August. Israel began its campaign after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Since then, at least 65,419 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.   Source: BBC

A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels injured 22 people in the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, medics said, marking a rare breach of Israel’s advanced missile defenses, which usually prevent casualties from such attacks. In the Gaza Strip, at least 41 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes, according to local hospitals. U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy expressed optimism over a new peace plan, without specifying its details or whether Israel or Hamas have accepted it. Iran-backed Houthis have periodically targeted Israel with drones and missiles and attacked international shipping, citing support for Palestinians. Most of their attacks have previously been intercepted or landed in unpopulated areas without causing injuries. The Houthis said they launched two drones at Israel on Wednesday. Israel has previously retaliated with airstrikes on Yemen. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on X that “anyone who harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold.” The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the drone. The Magen David Adom rescue service reported that two of the wounded sustained severe shrapnel injuries. Israeli Army orders Gaza City hospital evacuation as world leaders meet at UN Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 22 people in tents sheltering displaced residents in Gaza City, including three children and nine women, according to Al-Ahli hospital. Other strikes in Nuseirat refugee camp and Deir al-Balah killed at least 16 more people and injured dozens. Israel said it targeted Hamas militants while trying to avoid civilian casualties. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a 24-year-old Palestinian was killed near Jenin after allegedly throwing an explosive device at Israeli forces. The violence unfolded as the Middle East crisis dominated discussions at the U.N. General Assembly. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s negotiator Steve Witkoff, expressed hope that a “Trump 21-point plan for peace” could lead to a breakthrough. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi described the proposals as “an important foundation” for future peace efforts. The ongoing conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory operations have killed over 65,000, with women and children reportedly making up about half the casualties, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Current estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped amid severe shortages and famine conditions in Gaza City. Source: Agency 

For the first time in almost 60 years, a Syrian president addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, marking a symbolic return to the world stage after decades of dictatorship and conflict. President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who came to power following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime last December, told the Assembly: “Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world.” Across Syrian cities, crowds gathered in public squares to watch his speech on giant screens, waving national flags in celebration. The last time a Syrian head of state spoke at the UN was in 1967, when Noureddine Attasi addressed the Assembly shortly after the Arab-Israeli war that saw Damascus lose control of the Golan Heights. Since then, Syria’s representation had been limited to foreign ministers, with the Assad family ruling for 54 years until its abrupt fall during a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. In his address, al-Sharaa condemned Israel for continuing to threaten Syria even after Assad’s ouster, calling its actions a danger to the region. Negotiations are underway for a possible security deal that could revive the 1974 disengagement agreement, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has downplayed prospects of an imminent breakthrough. Israel says any deal must safeguard its security and protect the Druze minority in Syria. Al-Sharaa, who has sought to reassure Syria’s diverse communities amid sectarian tensions, pledged to investigate reported atrocities by fighters linked to the new government. “I promise to bring anyone whose hands are tainted with the blood of Syrian people to justice,” he said. The president also highlighted his administration’s campaign to dismantle Syria’s Captagon drug trade, which flourished under Assad to finance his government under sanctions. He called on Western countries to lift Assad-era sanctions, which he said now only harm ordinary Syrians. U.S. President Donald Trump, who met al-Sharaa in May, has already ordered many sanctions lifted, though the toughest measures imposed by Congress in 2019 require legislative approval to be removed. Outside the UN, Syrian divisions were visible as diaspora groups staged rival demonstrations. Supporters waved Syria’s new three-starred “revolution flag,” while Druze protesters carried their community’s banner, denouncing al-Sharaa’s past ties to an insurgent group once affiliated with al-Qaida. Despite the controversies, many Syrians at home and abroad see al-Sharaa’s UN debut as the beginning of a new chapter after decades of authoritarian rule.  

At least 25 members of the same family were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed a cluster of homes in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood early Sunday, amid intensifying attacks across the besieged territory. The strikes hit as Israeli tanks pushed further into Sabra, part of a broader plan to seize control of the area. Rescue efforts were underway, with at least 17 people pulled from the rubble. Family members feared as many as 50 others remained trapped, with survivors saying they could still hear voices beneath the debris. “We keep hearing their screams from under the rubble, but we cannot reach them,” one family member pleaded. “I appeal to the whole world: Please lend us a helping hand. Our relatives are buried alive.” Rescue workers said their efforts were being hampered by Israeli drones firing at those digging through the rubble. “For every five men making an attempt, four are killed and only one survives,” a relative said. Push for two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict faces hurdles and risks backfire Video circulating online showed casualties being carried away in small vehicles, including a grieving mother who cried that she had lost “all of my children” in the attack. Israeli forces also carried out air raids on the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City and the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood to the southwest, as well as targeting Laval Tower in the Nasr district and a nearby house. Separately, seven Palestinians — including four children — were killed in a strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, near a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) clinic, according to emergency sources. Medical sources cited by the Wafa news agency said at least 68 people had been killed across Gaza since dawn on Sunday. The Gaza Health Ministry reported Saturday that overall casualties since October 2023 had reached 65,283 dead and 166,575 wounded. It also confirmed four more deaths from Israeli-induced starvation, raising that toll to 440, including 147 children. Israel continues demolishing buildings and forcing residents to flee as it presses its ground assault. The military said three divisions are advancing in Gaza City and northern Gaza, while another is operating in Khan Younis. It claimed its forces killed “many terrorists” in the past 24 hours. Gaza authorities estimate nearly 900,000 people remain in Gaza City, though Israel says more than 450,000 have already been displaced since early September. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, Pope Leo condemned the forced displacement of civilians, stressing, “There is no future based on violence, forced exile, and revenge.” Meanwhile, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal announced formal recognition of Palestinian statehood just days ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin welcomed the move, calling Israel’s actions “a systematic assault on the very fabric of humanity, designed to erase the Palestinian people’s existence, culture and future.” Source: Agency

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian head of state to do so in nearly 60 years. The last Syrian leader to appear at the General Assembly was in 1967, years before the Assad family’s five-decade rule. That era ended in December when then-President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa, bringing to a close nearly 14 years of civil war. Since taking power, al-Sharaa has moved to mend ties with Arab nations and Western governments, which were initially cautious due to his past leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group once designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. He has since adopted a platform of coexistence and pledged to protect minority communities, though outbreaks of sectarian violence and reports of killings of Druze and Alawite civilians by fighters loyal to the new government have cast a shadow over Syria’s fragile recovery. Israeli drones strike Damascus suburb, killing eight Syrian soldiers: officials Al-Sharaa is expected to use his New York trip to seek further sanctions relief as Syria struggles to rebuild its war-ravaged economy and infrastructure. U.S. President Donald Trump met him in Saudi Arabia in May and lifted decades of sanctions imposed under the Assad regime. However, the toughest restrictions remain under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which only Congress can repeal. Another pressing issue is Syria’s strained relations with Israel. Following Assad’s fall, Israel seized a former U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has carried out repeated airstrikes on Syrian military positions. Talks are ongoing for a security deal that could revive the 1974 disengagement agreement, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said a breakthrough remains distant. Turkey backs Syria’s new government, issues regional warning, signs defense deal Meanwhile, Syrian officials announced that the first parliamentary elections since Assad’s ouster will be held on October 5. Under the system, electoral bodies in each province will choose two-thirds of the People’s Assembly seats, while al-Sharaa will directly appoint the remaining one-third. Authorities said direct nationwide voting is not feasible at this stage, given widespread displacement and the loss of personal documentation among millions of Syrians. Source: Agency 

France and Saudi Arabia are seeking to inject fresh urgency into the decades-old push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, using this year’s UN General Assembly and the intensifying Gaza war to rally global support. Their plan includes a new road map for Palestinian statehood in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, along with steps by several Western countries to join the global majority already recognizing Palestine. On Sunday, Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining nearly 150 other nations, with France expected to follow suit this week. But the drive for a two-state framework faces fierce resistance from both the United States and Israel. Washington has blocked Palestinian officials from participating in the General Assembly, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly threatened unilateral measures, including possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Prospects dim despite global pushInternational consensus has long favored the creation of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza as the only viable solution to the conflict. Advocates argue it would preserve Israel’s Jewish democratic character, while critics warn that the current system—where Palestinians live under various forms of Israeli control—amounts to apartheid. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated last week that without a two-state solution, peace in the Middle East is impossible. Yet repeated peace talks since the 1990s have collapsed amid violence and settlement expansion, and there have been no serious negotiations since Netanyahu’s return to power in 2009. Meanwhile, Israel’s war in Gaza has devastated the enclave, killing tens of thousands, displacing nearly 90% of its 2 million residents, and leaving large areas uninhabitable. The French-Saudi initiativeHoping to break the deadlock, France and Saudi Arabia have advanced a phased plan calling for an immediate Gaza ceasefire, the release of hostages and full Israeli withdrawal. Hamas would cede authority to a nonpartisan committee under the Palestinian Authority and lay down its weapons, while international support would help rebuild Gaza and oversee governance, potentially with foreign peacekeepers. UK, Canada, Australia recognise state of Palestine The 193-member UN recently endorsed the so-called “New York Declaration,” backing the idea of eventual Palestinian statehood under this framework. Israel and U.S. push backWashington and Tel Aviv argue that recognition of a Palestinian state rewards Hamas and undermines efforts to free hostages. They also warn that a Palestinian state could enable another large-scale assault similar to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Netanyahu has framed global recognition of Palestinian statehood as an attack on Israel, vowing reciprocal unilateral action. His coalition partners have long pushed for West Bank annexation, which would all but extinguish hopes of a viable Palestinian state. Challenges aheadThe French-Saudi proposal avoids the thorniest issues: final borders, the status of Jerusalem, refugee rights, settlements and Israel’s recognition as a Jewish state. It also leans heavily on the Palestinian Authority, which many Palestinians view as corrupt and ineffective. Planned elections remain uncertain, with Hamas excluded unless it disarms and accepts Israel’s existence. Given these obstacles, analysts warn the plan may meet the same fate as past initiatives—another unfulfilled roadmap—leaving Israel in control of territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean and millions of Palestinians without basic rights. Source: Agency